Ether, Xia Li, and Luosha

"Are you really sure about this?" Luosha asked, feeling uneasy. "If you can't agree to it, then I won't donate," Xia Li said. "But—not revealing your name, not revealing the amount, not saying a single word or asking any questions... why does it have to be like this?" Luosha asked. "I don't want anyone to know I did this." Xia Li looked into her eyes and spoke sincerely. Luosha paused, then quickly nodded. "...All right." Some people were already famous enough that they didn't want to invite unnecessary trouble. Others were simply low-key by nature. Either way, this was something she could promise. "Come on, send me your bank card number," Xia Li said. "Why don't you transfer it directly to the orphanage's official account?" Luosha asked, puzzled. "I trust you more." *Trusts me.* Luosha chewed on the phrase, feeling somewhat at a loss. A girl she had just met on a bus was saying she trusted her. It was ridiculous. And yet— As long as she was willing to donate money to the orphanage, Luosha could accept these bizarre rules and unfounded claims. Luosha sent over an account number. Moments later. A transfer of 30,000 credits flashed directly onto Luosha's phone screen. "This... this is too much! Little Sister Xia Li, you didn't secretly take money from your family, did you? Won't that cause trouble? I—I'm so grateful..." Luosha stumbled over her words in incoherence. Amused by her flustered reaction, Xia Li gently stroked the tabby cat and pursed her lips in a smile. "It's fine. Just take it. Besides, there's something I need to tell you—" "Something that no one else can ever know." Luosha got up to close the door tight, walked back, and sat down on the sofa, looking at Xia Li with trepidation. At this moment, She began to understand dimly. This beautiful, kind-hearted young girl was extraordinary in every word and gesture; she had to be someone of exceptional status. "Sister Luosha, answer me." Xia Li let go of the cat. Her expression gradually turned solemn, and she asked softly, "When did you first come into contact with Ether?" Luosha's face drained of color. "How do you know about that?" "To my eyes, the aura on you is as obvious as a candle flame in the dark," Xia Li said. "I..." Meeting Xia Li's bright amber eyes, Luosha felt almost compelled to speak: "I learned it a few days ago." A few days ago. That was very recent. Yet it was awkward to ask how she had learned it, because Luosha's steps were unsteady, her limbs lacked strength, and she showed no signs of any solid martial arts foundation. She must have been an ordinary person before. Which meant she had learned it after joining the Black Tide Cult. Before that— "You didn't know anything about this beforehand, did you?" Xia Li asked. Luosha nodded, suddenly relaxing. What did it matter if she spoke? Telling her wouldn't hurt anything. She was going to be executed by the Cardinal soon anyway. Xia Li had donated so much money to the orphanage; Luosha might as well satisfy her curiosity. "When I was little—" Luosha gazed into empty air, reminiscing as she murmured, "Every now and then, I would see things that didn't exist, hear whispers coming from the sky, and sometimes even enter places that weren't real." "I thought the orphanage was haunted, and I was terrified for a long time." "And then?" Xia Li asked. "Later... I got used to it. After all, those things never hurt me," Luosha said. "How old were you when it started?" "Five." "Why were you suddenly able to contact Ether a few days ago?" "...I saw a few things." Astounding talent. Even with the demons' permission, not just anyone could link with Ether like that. In fact, most people could never connect to Ether in their entire lifetimes. It placed extraordinarily high demands on a human's consciousness. Xia Li kept her composure, her tone as calm as ever. "You joined the cult, didn't you?" Luosha gasped, unable to hold back: "What? Little Sister Xia Li, are you also—" "...No, I'm not. I just know a little bit about your cult." At this, a sharp glint flashed in Xia Li's eyes, though her voice grew even softer. "I have some dealings with the cult lately, so could you honestly tell me—" "Do you have any colleagues in the cult that you trust completely?" "That way, I can pick the right person to communicate with." Luosha shook her head at once. "No." "Not even one?" Xia Li asked. "People in the cult are never to be trusted," Luosha said resolutely. That young man— The image of him holding flames flashed through her mind. To be sure, Xia Li had donated 30,000 credits to the orphanage. Xia Li got along with her wonderfully and cared about her situation. Xia Li was kind, beautiful, and deeply mysterious. Furthermore— The Cardinal had gone to kill him. She didn't even know if he was still alive. Still! Even so! Just because Xia Li was good to her didn't mean she could expose him. What if it brought him danger? She wanted him to live! "That's so pitiful. Not a single friend to share hardships with?" Xia Li asked. "Really, they're living devils. Xia Li, you must never join the cult. Please believe me," Luosha said, gripping Xia Li's hand tightly with utmost sincerity. "How much do you know about Ether?" Xia Li changed the subject. "Not much. I only know you can go to places that don't exist." Outwardly, Luosha appeared curious, but inside she breathed a silent sigh of relief. "All right. Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you next." "I understand." Xia Li listened intently for a moment. After confirming there was no other movement nearby, she spoke: "Ether—do you know what it really is?" "No, I only know it's everywhere," Luosha said. Xia Li said softly, "Some suspect it was the pinnacle achievement before the civilization gap;" "Others say the civilizations of past eras were destroyed precisely because they created it;" "Yet its power is so vast, eternal, and miraculous—" "In truth," "Humanity's exploration of Ether is like an ant fallen into a boundless ocean, knowing neither its depth nor its breadth." Luosha listened, utterly entranced. Xia Li reached out with an air of world-weary maturity, tapped Luosha on the head, and warned her sternly, "To protect yourself, you must never utter the word 'Ether.'" "Why?" Luosha asked. Xia Li held up three fingers, offering an indirect answer: "There are three ways to link with Ether." "First, by being born with the ability to resonate with Ether's frequency, fusing directly into it;" "Second, by relying on the domains demons have constructed within Ether—once your soul responds, guided by the demons, you can enter certain specific areas;" "Third, when a martial artist reaches the Daozang Baji realm and their spiritual power breaks through its shackles, they can sense it from then on, using its power to augment their spiritual arts." "You are the first type. Your talent is one in ten thousand." *In fact, she's a mixture of the first and second.* *The demons must be dying to devour her.* *Unless she can prove she brings them greater, far more satisfying benefits.* The thought flickered through Xia Li's mind as she continued aloud, "For someone like you, speaking the word 'Ether' aloud might pull you straight inside, leaving you stranded in an unknowable realm." Luosha was stunned. No one had ever told her this before. Even the Black Tide Cult only preached that Ether was a heavenly world created by a great existence. Every time she went there, it felt like hell. —*Was that the second method all along?* "...Why does that happen?" Luosha asked cautiously. "Because you've never learned any secret arts regarding spiritual power, nor has any predecessor mapped out a safe path for you, and you don't know any martial techniques." "You're like a drowning ant, utterly helpless in Ether." Xia Li raised her hand, pressing her index and middle fingers together, pointing them at the space between Luosha's brows. "Xia Li..." Luosha shrank back slightly in fear. "It's all right," Xia Li said with a smile. "I'm placing a spiritual power protective art on you." "If you enter a perilous situation in Ether and your soul is on the verge of harm, this art will instantly pull you back to the real world." "It only works once, though." Her two fingers lightly touched the center of Luosha's forehead—cool to the touch, pulling away after a single instant. Nothing miraculous appeared in the room. It seemed as though nothing had happened at all. Yet a serene look washed over Luosha's face. Her expression relaxed, and she whispered softly, "What a vast power... It's wrapped around my consciousness, protecting me... This is unbelievable..." Xia Li watched her quietly, nodding to herself. *Ye Huan has sharp eyes.* She herself had too much on her plate and could barely take care of her own affairs. More importantly— The profound mysteries of fusing spiritual power with Ether were prized secrets of her sect and the empire. Without permission from her master and family, she could never teach them without authorization. She had already done all she could. "How are you able to do something like this, Little Sister Xia Li?" Luosha couldn't help asking. "I had to work bitterly hard to accomplish it. Unlike you, who were born with it. From here on, I actually hope you can learn some martial arts," Xia Li said. "Why?" Luosha asked. "Humanity's exploration and utilization of Ether relies on the martial system. If you practice martial arts, you'll at least have the experience of predecessors to reference, and it's much safer," Xia Li said. She had said all that needed saying. What came next depended on how Ye Huan handled it. That was his business. "Little Sister Xia Li, do you have spiritual power abilities?" Luosha asked. "It's not convenient for me to show you right now," Xia Li laughed. "I stirred up a bit of trouble and I'm lying low." "To avoid being discovered, I even sealed away some of my power—don't tell anyone about that, okay?" "Ah, all right! I definitely won't say a word to anyone!" Luosha hurried to promise. Xia Li stood up and waved at her. "Let's go shopping together when we have time. Right now, I need to rush back to work overtime." "Really? Let me see you out." Luosha stood up quickly as well. "No need, I have to hurry back." Before her voice had even faded, Xia Li suddenly vanished. Luosha froze. The room door was closed, the windows shut tight, showing no sign of ever being opened. A living person had vanished right before her eyes. *She's amazing... She must be an incredible martial artist,* Luosha thought silently. Xia Li had said she sealed her own spiritual power arts. —*What level of martial artist can learn spiritual power techniques?* Luosha suddenly realized something, and she clamped her hand over her mouth, terrified she might scream out loud. Xia Li had mentioned it just a moment ago. Namely— *"...when a martial artist reaches the Daozang Baji realm and their spiritual power breaks through its shackles, they can..."* That was it. Xia Li was at least a martial artist of the Daozang Baji realm! ... Night fell completely. The city lights began to glow. The rain drifted down in intermittent bursts. Song Fushan walked into the eatery holding a notebook, sat down across from Ye Huan, and said with a cigarette dangling from his lips: "It's been verified." "The two in the alley were cult members. Their blood was drained dry—clearly caused by casting an occult art." "As for the police car outside, we found the engine serial number. It was stolen last month. We haven't identified the corpses yet." "Which only confirms that their identities can't see the light of day." "Let's go. Back to writing reports." "Yes, Section Chief—the food at this place you recommended really is great," Ye Huan said. "Haha, right? Any spot that catches my eye has got to be good," Song Fushan said happily, glancing at the messy table. This kid had just killed people, yet he still managed to clean out three platters and down several bowls of rice. His conscience must be completely clear.